Herbert knight



H. KNIGHT AND F. L. NICHOLS.

MILITARY GRENADE.

APPLICATION FILED IuNE 9. I9Ir.

1 ,3 1 6,367 Patented Sept. 16, 1919.

32 l I I| 33 UNITED sTATEs .PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT KNIGHT, or'NEw YORK, N. Y., AND rHnNK L. NIcHoLs, or STANFORD,

coNNEcTIcUT, AssIeNoHs, BY :DIRECT AND MEsNEAssIGNi/IENTS, VTo INTERNA- TIoNAI. MUNITIoNs COMPANY, INC., or DELAWARE.

MILITARY GRENADE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Y' Ptenfdusept 16:, 1919.

Application filed J'une 9, 1917. Serial No. 173,721.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, HERBERT KNIGHT, residing at the borough of Manhattan, city of New York, county and State of New' York, and FRANK L. NICHOLS, residing at Stamford, in the county of Fairfield and the State of Connecticut, citizens of the United States of America, 'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Military Grenades, of which the following is a specification. y

Our present invention has to do more especially with a hand grenade though it can be adapted and employed for other means of throwing, or projecting, than by hand;

but it is as a hand grenade that we will more particularly show, describe and claim. it.

One object 4of our invention is to provide a very sensitive impact grenade that is to say, sensitive after it has been purposely thrown and armed, and in carrying this proposition intoV execution, we provide means whereby the gravity elements which start in action when impact occurs proceed with a constantly accelerating movement until the firing element strikes, whereby and through these instrumentalities we secure the greatest efficiency possible, as the primer is struck when the firing pin is mov'- ing at its highest speed. Another object of ourv invention is to provide an implement of this character sub-` stantially the size and shape of a baseball having in mind the fact that such a grenade would be easy to manipulate by the American soldiers, the majority of whom are familiar with baseball, thus facilitating the adaptation and employment of such a shape in a military implement.

Another object of our invention is to incorporatev and include safety first means, whereby at all times and up to the moment when the missile has'been actually and purposely thrown, it will be safe in handling, transportation, or accidental dropping; our present grenadev will not arm except as a result of a forceful forward thrown.

Other advantages will be noted in the specification and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification Figure 1- shows a perspective view of the implement in' the hand of the thrower.

Fig. 2- is a central section of the grenade on .line VIl-.II Fig. l.

Fig. 3- `is a cross section on III-III Fig. 2.

Fig. lis a section on the line IV-IV Fig.V 2. n Y

F ig. 5- shows the grenade in the act of functioning.

Fig. 6- is a detail view.

F ig'. 7- is a view showing the parts in safety position.

In these drawings 10 is the mainshell, or body of the implement; it is provided with countersunk portions, pockets or cups V11, two in number; these cups are cast at the same timev as the shell and form a part of the integral structure. They are connected together by a ligament extendingbetween theirinternal faces as will be explained.

The explosive unit is provided with two primers 12 arranged opposite to one another, as shown; both of these primers are adapted the line to respond to the blows of the firing mechanism-hereinafter explained, and to discharge their `fire inwardly and toward each other and into acommon channel 13.

The channel 13 opens into a tube 14 and the products of the explosion from the primers 12 will vent through the channel 13 and discharge into the tube 14; at the other end of the latter is arranged the open end of the tube '15 containing a compound 16, Y

17, whichwill respond to the igniting and explosive qualities of the primers and willV in turn produce a detonating effect which will set off the high explosive 18 arranged in the tube 19. The tube 15 and its contents constitute the detonator. Y I

The above chain of events will be set in motion by the means and methods as follows At 20 is shown a stripper,grasping member, or cover, halffsurrounding the shell 10 and resistingly attached thereto, which lop'- erates as an arming device, and which also while in place and position constitutes a soonras they leave the hand, part company, Y

safety first member. It isv formed of steel, or other metal aording the resiliency and spring or give, which is necessary in the stripping act. As shown in the perspective view, Fig. l, it fits the spherical shell l0 snugly and is of a size and shape to be grasped conveniently by the hand of the thrower; the position and hold being of such a naturethat when the thrower projects the missile forward and in a forcible manner the parts l0 and 20, moving as a unit while they are in the hand, will, as

by which act and operation the implement will arm.

The stripper plate graspin member 20 is therefore both a safety rst and an arming device its eXtreme ends 21 are inserted in slits 22 of the teats 23 which latter constitute the outer terminals of the gravity operating balls 24, said balls forming the inertia elements of the firing units, and which, when the ends 2l of the stripper plate are withdrawn from the slits 22, become floating parts, tumbling down when impact occurs and starting the chain of movements which results in the functioning of the grenade, as will be eXplained.

It will be seen from the foregoing that these slits 22 upon the outer ends of the gravity, or momentum actuated, members 24 provide means integral with said members forsecuring them in a rigidly fixed position in reference to the firing mechanism.

The balls 24 are Afiattened'on their inner or opposed faces 25, said faces seating on the rounded heads 26 of the firing pins 27 these pins are provided at their inner ends with points 28 arranged, when in position, approximately near, and within striking distance of, the primers 12. Y

The cups 11 are integrally connected together by the internal axially located shank, web or ligament 29 and from the bottom of the cups and centrally through the shank are formed land extended passageV ways 30 leading to the positioned primers 12, and in these passage ways the firing pins 27 seat and travel.

The firing pins 27 are maintained in their outer, or armed, position by means of stirrups 3l; these latter are formed of three cornered pieces of thin metal as shown in Fig. 6, which corners, when bent up into shape as shown in the Figs. 2.and 4 form three legs; the stirrups are in fact tripod supporters or holdbacks for the ring pins.

As stated, and as will be seen from the drawings, Figs. 2 and 4, the central disk, or face, of the stirrups seat up under the heads of the firing pins and hold and maintain them in their outer position; the special construction of these stirrups and the complementary relationship with the gravity members 24 together with the mutually co-acting and coordinating functioning of these parts will be referred to further on.

At 32 are shown covers which are screw jointed, or otherwise secured, to the pockets Aor cups 11 at 33 and which, together with the cups, form and constitute housings for the three members of the firing units, to wit, the striking elements, or pins 27, the gravity elements or balls 24 and the hold-back elements, or stirrups 31.

The outer ends of the covers 32 are provided with openings 34; through these openings eXtend the teats 23 of the balls 24; see Figs. 2, 4 and 5.

By referring more particularly to Fig. 2, the position and arrangement of the parts will be seen. Said parts are here shown in their locked positions; the balls 24 are close up to the inner faces ofthe covers 32 and the teats 23 are extended through the openings 34; the ends 2l of the stripper 20 occupy the slits 22 of the teats 23 and scat preferably upon the edges 35 of the covers 32; the parts are all locked tightly together as will be seen.

It will also be seen thatl the balls 24, although seating against the heads 26 of the firing pins 27, do not impose any burden thereon as they are entirely supported from the teats 23 at the outer ends, leaving the stirrups 31 to sustain the weight of firing pins only.

These stirrups are formed of soft, or semisoft and inelastic metal, and in the shape and position shown in Fig. 4, present their greatest strength and resistance; as soon as they begin to give way, responding to a superior pressure, their tendency toward complete collapse is constantly accelerated from the initiating give, or yielding; the stirrups in their method of functioning operate exactly contrary to a coiled spring whose unit and power of resistance is constantly increasing as pressure is applied; so that whereas a spring would present a cushion or resistor of ever increasing strength when the firing elements are set in motion, the stirrups present exactly a contrary proposition; which arrangement is invaluable in facilitating the effective operation of the firing unit; this phase of the invention will be referred to again.

During the time the missile including the balls or inertia members are acquiring their velocity the balls or inertia members are locked against movement independent of the container, and inasmuch as when they become released the missile-is in free flight, there is little or no tendency of the inertia members to change their positions with relation to the container. Any slight tendency to a change in relation during free flight will be insufficient to cause effective action of the firing pins and the inertia members will, therefore, function only upon impact llO of the [container or such a retardatipn or change inits `direction `of motion as will cause the momentum of the inertia'members to overcome the Vresistance of the stirrups and friction between the parts.-

When the grenade is thrown and impacts7 the speed of the shell itself is cheeked, or it is brought altogether toa standstill; in either case the balls being floating menibers, will thereupon and immediately, seek to change their positionrelative to lthe rest of the grenade, which act will result lin the balls tumbling down; the rounded sur-y faces .ofthe balls will travel down the inclined' .faces of thev covers 32,l but' will not quite reach/the platforms 32a; the teats 23 will draw` inwardly and the balls exerting a. constantly increasing pressure as they tend to present their edges 37, where the flat and round surfaces of the balls meet, to the curved outer vfaces of the firing pin heads, will drive the said pins inwardly with ever increasing force and speed; in this accelerating operation thecurved faces of the firing pin heads cooperate, for the farther the balls travel on the said heads, the more they have to mount on the said curved heads; also it will be' seen, as has already been explained, that the inelastic stirrups 31 present an ever weakening resistance when' they once start to flatten out; and the end of the iring stroke results, in the entire and absolute collapsepf the stirrups with the balls and firing pinsarriving at the point ofV their greatest efficiency. lThis we believe is a novel proposition in implements of this nature.

We will proceed to describe the remaining parts Oft-he? mechanism, and will then take up the action of the implement when iinpact comes. Y f' At 38 is shown a plug provided with two primer holding receptacles, or chambers, 39 discharging into the channel 13; the-plug is provided with a screw head 40, which serves to secure it into an opening of the wall of the shell 10; this plug which holds the priniers`12 has two positions, aposition of safety and a firing position. /Vhen the plug is Vin the firing position, it is presenting the primers 12 to points 28 of the firing pins, see Figs. 2, 4 and 5. Whenthe primer holding plug'is in this position and the grenade impacts the members of the firing units will function and the points 28 will be driven into the primers 12.

To place the plug 3S in safety positionit is given a quarter turn thus removing the primers 12 from points opposed to the firing pins; it is so shown in Figs. 3 and 7; in this position the primers are lying inside of, and protected by, the walls of the ligament, shank, or web 29; 'so positioned they are thoroughly safe and nothing can reach them, or impair them in any manner; "so also the` points 28 vof the `firing. pins will at' the same time be opposed, when in safety position, to the walls ofthe plug 38,' so that any accidental or unintentional forward movement ofthe firing pins wouldresult only intheir coming up against the metalY plug; this .is a noteworthy advantage in transportation. f

When the grenade is manufactured and the parts are assembled'the plug 3S is inserted with the primers 12 in place, andv the.. plug is then turned tothe position of safety, as shown in: Figs. 3 and 7 itis locked in thisl position bythe pin 41,` passage `ways 42 and 43, crossing one another at-right angles, provide means for securing to pin 41 in its two positions; when the latter' is in passage way 42as shown in'Fig. 2, the plug is in firing position; when the pin'is in passage way 43, ias shownin Fig. 3, the plug is in safety position; suitable complementary ways opposite the passage ways in the plug are provided in the shell and through this latter,

the pin 41 also extends; from these passage ways, the pin 41 canY e withdrawn, the plugy 38 -canbe turned to quarter of a revolutionY plug 45 affords means for closing same. A f

cotter'pin 46 extends through the channel V46271 in the plug. This'cotter pin serves to loclrthe stripper 20 securely upon and around the body of the shell maintaining it Vinposition Aat all times uptothe moment when the implement is to be employed; when thecotter pin 46 is withdrawn the stripper 2O and the vshell 10 can be separated,but not before; ya circular opening 47 see Fig. l, isl provided in the stripper vthrough which the plug 45 extends.

The shell is subdivided into substantially uniform vfragmentizingV sections or slugs by means of insets or channels 48 Vwhich cross eachother substantially at right angles; by

means of this. arrangement and construction missiles of military value resultand'by the.

furthe'i'fA reason-"of the spherical shape the,

properradial distribution takes the shell is detonated. y y

ByA 'referring to Fig. 1, it may be seen .how the implement is yheldV in the act of throwing. The `lingers ofthe thrower rest on the rim or edge 49 and the thumb on the edge 50. At 51 is shown a spring tongue which'dips down into one of the fchan1iels 48 and serves to clasp theshell 10 'at this point, whileat 52 arey similar inwardly extending* extensions place when iatv which fit' over and embrace'the raised sections between the channels 4:8; in addition tothe clasping and detaining points 5l and 52, we provide holding edges 53, see Fig. 4; the finger rims or edges L9 as well as the thumb edges 50 are stamped up from the stripper piece 2O and are formed integral therewith; so also are the spring ciasping members 5l, 52 and 53.

lThe stripper or grasping member 2O being as before stated formed of steel plate and the clasping devicesl, 52 and 53 being integral parts thereof it will-be rseen that when the stripper is in place and position itis resistingly secured'to the shell l() which it embraces. v

I-twill be seen from all the foregoing and referring to the accompanying drawings that the primers l2, the initiating element of the explosive unit are in a position to receive a blow from either or both of the firing pins when impact occurs.

Zhen the throiver projects the implement in the manner hereinbefore described em-4 ploying the hand as shown in -F ig. 1 the stripper or grasping member 20 and the shell 10 will separate one from the other in the throwing act or the grasping members being in the grasp of the hand of the thrower will be held so as to be retarded with respect to the container, and although both may leave the hand they will separate. The action is practically involuntary on the part of ,the thrower and is thought to be due to the fact that maximum acceleration is imparted before the grenade actually leaves the hand and the` hand involuntarily Vclutches the grasping member, holding it back While the inertia of the container carries it forwardly and effects the release of the engaging parts. The balls or momentum members 24: Ybeing released from their locked position, will` float, relatively to the shell andits other contained parts; when the shell is arrested, or the direction of its motion is changed by coming in contact with another body, as for instance the surface 54 of the earth; the said shell will irrespective of its point of contact, function, and the balls of gravity members 24C willy drop and glide down the inclined faces 32 of the housings; as the balls drop they will turn and the edges Iwill ride up on curved heads of the firing pins.

Having thus described our invention th following is What we claim as new and useful therein and desire to reserve by Letters Patent 1 l. A grenade embodying a fragmenting container for the bursting charge and firing mechanism, a firing mechanism and a grasping member partl surrounding and separably connected with both the lcontainer and firing mechanism and adapted to release both the container and firing mechanism when the grasping member is retarded in its movement with relation to the container by the projecting means after the grenade has acquired its velocity.

2. A grenade embodying a container with an explosive chamber therein and a firing mechanism for the explosive with means for holding the firing mechanism in unarmed condition, embodying a separable concavoconvex grasping member partly surrounding the container in position to be grasped by the projecting meansy and adapted to be retarded with relation to the container by the projecting means in the act of projecting theV grenade to therebyr arm the firing means.

i3.' A grenade embodying a fragmenting container for the bursting charge and firing mechanism, firing mechanism embodying inertia members adapted to effect detonation when the movement of the grenade is arrested or retarded, a grasping member separably connected with and partly surrounding the container and through which the projecting force is transmitted to the container and safety-locking means for the inertia member normally held by the grasping member and released to arm the firing mechanism, when the grasping member is retarded with relation to the container in the act of projecting the same.

A grenade embodying a fragmentary container for the bursting charge and firing mechanism, a firing mechanism and a grasping member embracing the container, said firing mechanism and grasping member having interlocking parts to hold the firing mechanism at safety and oppositely arranged finger and thumb engaging projections on the grasping member whereby its movement may beretarded with relation to the container in the act of throwing to thereby arm the firing mechanism.

5. A grenade embodying a fragmenting container for the bursting charge and firing mechanism, a firing mechanism embodying members having oppositely arranged proj ections extending to the exterior of the container, and a separable grasping member partly surrounding the container and coperating with sai-d projections to normally lock the inertia members in inactive position.

6. A grenade embodying a fragmenting n container for the bursting charge and firing mechanism, a firing mechanism embodying weighted inertia members having oppositely arranged projections extending to the exterior of the container, and a separable grasping member partly surrounding the container and coperating with said projections to normally lock the inerti-a members in inactive position.

7. A grenade embodyingY a fragmenting container, an explosive unit and a firing unit, said firing unit embodying inertia members extending through the container,

exterior locking devices therefor and relatively operable upon the grenade impacting and swinging downwardly and inwardly in the functioning act.

8. A grenade embodying a fragmenting container, an explosive unit, locked inertia members releasable in the throwing act, locking devices formed integrally with the inertia mem'bers and extending through the container and functioning with the releasing member upon the exterior of the container.

9. A grenade embodying a fragmenting container, an explo-sive unit, a firing unit embodying primer Striking pins having con- Vex heads on their outer ends and cordinating inertia members having flattened faces positioned `against said heads, whereby when the grenade impacts the inertia mem'bers will move across the heads of the said pins and present their edges to same.

10. A grenade .embodying a fragmenting container, oppositely arranged pockets in said container, covers therefor providing housings, inertia members positioned in said housings, and means exterior to the grenade for holding the inertia members in locked position and releasing them in the throwing act.

11. A grenade embodying a fragmenting container, an explosive unit, oppositely positioned primers forming part of said explo-- sive unit, a primer holding plug, means for shifting said plug from a safety, to a firing position, and means, while in the latter position, of functioning the primers upon the grenade impacting.

12. A grenade embodying a fragmenting container for the bursting charge and firing mechanism, said firing mechanism embodying primer striking pins and inelastic collapsible members providing holdbacks for the striking pins, and means for deforming Vthe inelastic collapsible members upon the grenade impacting. Y

HERBERT KNIGHT. FRANK L. NICHOLS. Witnesses:

WILLIAM B. TATE, H. L. CROOKER.

opies o f this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of rannte,

' Washington, D. 

